Tempest of iron prepared the advance of a host ‘gainst a remnant;
Tempest of shouting announced the advance of that host overwhelming,
And as the black rocks o’erwhelmed but unvanquished make stand ‘gainst the ocean,
So did that glorious remnant make stand ‘gainst that host overwhelming,
Till the war pride and war lust of that host like the rage of the ocean,
Broke and recoiled from the wall of their stubborn unyielding resistance.
How many times, say, when you were a host strong and we were a remnant,
When you had guns by the thousand and we had to make war without them,
How many times did you come in your thousands to conquer that salient,
Only to find there the spirit of Agincourt like a flame storm fanned
Burning unquenched in the hearts and the souls of that unvanquished army.
Did you not know in the heart of your hearts when your orders were issued,
When you advanced in the pride of your war lust and glittering harness,
Did ye not know that the men of that little contemptible army
Come of that race that are known as the stubbornest fighters the world through?
Surely ye knew in the heart of your hearts when your orders were issued,
When you were told to go right through to Ypres or to die in the failure,
That you were never the match of that little contemptible army?